Samuel White did not expect Henry Adams to make such a decision. He had thought Henry Adams was truly sincere in seeking the Dao, and so he hesitated: “Back in the Jade Void Palace, the disciples once discussed the growing power of the Jie Sect. But the Grandmaster said that the Shang dynasty’s national fortune was waning, and in the future, destiny would shift westward. The prosperity of our sect should also be found there, so for now, there is no need to compete with the Jie Sect. We should simply keep a low profile and focus on cultivation. This Henry Adams, though intelligent, courteous, and highly gifted—a rare candidate for a disciple—has a status that is far too special. He may one day become the ruler of the Shang dynasty. If I were to accept such a prominent disciple, it would not only go against the Grandmaster’s wishes, but would surely bring endless trouble in the future...”

Samuel White’s concerns were not without reason. Setting aside the rivalry between the Chan and Jie sects, the position of crown prince in the Shang dynasty remained vacant, and all three sons of Emperor Yi were eligible to become heir. If Henry Adams succeeded in seizing power and inherited the throne, and then acquired his true Daoist teachings, then prolonging life or even achieving immortality would not be impossible. Just imagine, if a deathless monarch were to appear in the mortal world, would that not violate the laws of Heaven and humanity?

Looking at Henry Adams’s “earnest” gaze, Samuel White could not bear to refuse outright, and said after some thought, “Your Highness, you are of noble birth and bear the weight of the nation, which is at odds with the transcendence sought by cultivators. Unless Your Highness is willing to abandon all worldly affairs, only then can you become a disciple of my Zhongnan Sect.”

Jessica Bolton realized that Samuel White was asking him to give up his identity as Henry Adams and focus solely on cultivation, which he would never agree to. He had joined the Chan Sect with ulterior motives to begin with. Even if he did as Samuel White said and abandoned worldly matters to join the Jade Void Sect, there was no guarantee he could preserve his life—during the War of Investiture, aside from a handful of third-generation disciples of the Chan Sect who achieved sainthood in the flesh, the rest all became cannon fodder and ended up on the Investiture Platform anyway, so why bother with such a pointless gesture?

Jessica Bolton slowly rose to his feet and sighed, “If that is the case, I fear there is no fate for me to become your disciple, Daoist.”

This answer was already within Samuel White’s expectations, so he showed no surprise, only a hint of regret in his heart.

Chapter Five: Henry Adams, I’ll Take Your Wife

After rejecting Samuel White’s proposal, Jessica Bolton said solemnly, “Please do not misunderstand, Daoist. It is not that I am unwilling to part with wealth and status, but I have other reasons. Today at the marketplace, though I saved a brother and sister, I could only save those two—there are still thousands, tens of thousands, or even more people suffering in misery. I once made a great vow: if I am fortunate enough to inherit the throne, I will rule with benevolence and bring blessings to the world, saving the people from their suffering... Therefore, I can only fail to live up to your kindness, Daoist.”

These words were spoken with great righteousness, and there was genuine sincerity within them. Samuel White listened intently and sighed, “Your Highness has the world in your heart and cares for the people—this is a great ambition. Though I regret losing a fine disciple, I am also greatly comforted.” As he spoke, Samuel White took a square jade tablet from the flower basket, about the size of a palm. “Though we cannot become master and disciple today, fate has brought us together. This book is something I obtained by chance years ago in West Kunlun. Though it is not a method for immortality, it can cultivate the body and mind. I see that Your Highness possesses divine strength but lacks skill in its use, so I present this book to you. If you practice diligently, you will surely achieve something in the future.”

Jessica Bolton took the jade tablet, feeling its smooth warmth in his hand. Looking closely, he saw two large characters: “War Soul”! Jessica Bolton turned the jade tablet over and over, finding only the words “War Soul” and nothing else, which puzzled him: could this be the “book” Samuel White mentioned?

Samuel White saw his confusion and smiled, “This item originally had a small restriction, which I have now removed. Your Highness need only follow the method I have taught to read its secrets.” With that, Samuel White passed on a set of calming and focusing incantations, and, not lingering further, took his leave of Jessica Bolton. Jessica Bolton wanted to keep him a bit longer to see if he could gain more benefits, but Samuel White was determined to go, so he had no choice but to personally escort him out of Henry Adams’s residence.

After seeing Samuel White off, Jessica Bolton was about to explore the mysteries of the jade tablet when he suddenly saw Henry Adams’s two wives, Lady Jiang and Lady Yang, approaching. Lady Jiang was Henry Adams’s principal wife, named Emily Foster, twenty-two years old, of noble birth, the daughter of the Southern Marquis Jiang Huanchu. Though she had already borne two sons, she still had a graceful figure and skin like jade, exceedingly charming. The other wife, Yang Jiu, was also from a prominent family, three years younger than Lady Jiang, beautiful in appearance and gentle in temperament.

For some time, Jessica Bolton had used his lingering illness as an excuse to keep his distance from these two “legal” wives, not daring to have any intimate contact. At first, he was afraid of revealing his true identity in front of Henry Adams’s closest companions, and besides, to “accept” two “strange” wives just like that inevitably came with some psychological burden. Later, as his “illness” gradually improved, he no longer had such concerns, but his greatest mental block remained the identity of this “fallen” monarch. Yet fate works in mysterious ways—a brief conversation with a slave at the marketplace unexpectedly cleared away the long-standing gloom in Jessica Bolton’s heart, rekindling his fighting spirit, much like a sudden enlightenment in Buddhism. From today onward, Jessica Bolton had truly been “reborn.” Everything in the past, including his eternal longing and love for Yuxian, would be buried deep in his memory. All previous hesitation was gone; he had returned to being the unrestrained, forthright, and never-yielding Jessica Bolton, ready to defy “destiny” at any cost.